Liverpool Has A Big Spider Problem.

You might remember in May of 2007, when I posted video clip of "The Sultan's Elephant" public art exhibition in London, that year. The group is Royal De Luxe and they did some incredible shit with a giant puppet of an elephant and a giant puppet of a little girl and a rocket ship...

Here, just look at my blog entry about it and watch the fucking videos. They're almost unbelievable, altogether!

Well, they're back.

And they've brought a giant spider with them. Fifty Feet Wide.

Her name is La Princesse. You can learn about her here.

The best part of the exhibit is how it was handled. Without warning, La Princesse was installed during the night on a derelict London highrise. London citizens woke up Monday to find that there was a 50 foot spider hanging upside down on a building. And that's where she stayed up until Friday, when the puppeteers rapelled down to her, strapped in and began to "wake her up". She unfolded her legs, climbed down the side of the building to a crowd of people and walked around them, spraying them playfully with water. She proceeded to walk, through London, to the Cunard Building, where citizens were invited to come see her and watch her walk around a bit. (See the video below.)

And for the next three days, this past weekend, she free roamed around Liverpool, at 2 miles an hour, visiting the important sites in town and causing quite a stir, wherever she went.

Check out a video to see her in motion...



And here's a REALLY groovy video of her waking up and walking around. (Nice song pic with this video, btw.)



I have to say that I am REALLY impressed by this whole project. Not JUST her design and function, which are singularly impressive by their own right, but the secretive nature of her unveiling and then the way that she was free to roam around, giving unsuspecting Liverpoolians a surprise encounter appeals enormously to my playful side.
Jim Henson may be gone. But there's a company that's carrying on his work, even if they don't specifically intend to do that.

Surely you have to concede that there is something magical about a world where fifty foot spiders free roam around your town, all in the name of art...

Cheers all,
Mr.B